Young actor Naga Shaurya is one of Telugu cinema’s most gifted actors, who can pull off any role with elan.
The actor is quite confident about his upcoming film @Nartanasala which is releasing on August 30. Apart from working with debutant director Srinivas Chakravarthi on this film, Naga Shaurya reveals that he is working with four more debutant directors for his forthcoming films.
“They work very hard and want to achieve success at any cost. They also have innovative ideas and handle new scripts which are interesting,” says the actor, who quickly adds that he is not against working with senior directors. “If there is a good story, I will definitely work with them too,” he says. The promos of his upcoming film show the actor playing a gay character. “I don’t want to elaborate on it, but the ‘gay’ thing is key to the film. It’s not satirical or critical of the community. In fact, once you watch the film, everyone will respect them more. Also, the female leads have more importance in the film,” says Naga Shaurya.
So, was the film deliberately titled @Nartanasala? “Yes, in the old classic, NTR played Bruhana (a gay character), so we felt the title was apt for our film. Since we couldn’t use the same title, we added the @ prefix,” he reveals.
Talking about two of his films —Kanam and Ammammagarillu which did not fare well at the box-office, Naga Shaurya states, “Those films should have been released long ago, but they were delayed.”
As for his open criticism of Kanam co-star Sai Pallavi, Naga Shaurya maintains that he was only telling the truth. “I am not against anyone. When people asked about my experience in that film, I shared whatever was true,” he explains. But is he open to working with her again? “Yes, if a good story comes, I will work with her,” states the actor, who adds that competition does not bother him.
“I only concentrate on my films. Once you are in the race, you have to run till the destination and I am doing the same. I never look back,” he says, adding that he takes all his decisions himself.
“I never discuss my films with my parents or friends. I take my own decisions. Some directors narrate good stories, but fail to execute them on the screen. Some of my films didn’t do well because of that, so now, I am taking more care before the shoot starts,” says Naga Shaurya.
And despite the fact that his previous film Chalo was a big hit, Naga Shaurya adds, “I am never under any pressure to give a bigger hit than my earlier film. I do my work and put in the same efforts for all my films.” Interestingly, the actor’s parents turned producers for Chalo and this film is also being produced under his home banner. “My parents are my biggest support and I don’t need to worry about anything. From shooting to post-production, they look after everything,” says the actor. Ask about his marriage and Naga Shaurya replies with a laugh, “There is still time and if there is anything, I will inform everyone.” He adds that right now, he is going to concentrate on his film career.
